Shadowsocks Miner is a malicious computer virus classified as a Trojan[1]. It was developed for unacceptable purpose – steal victim’s CPU power to mine cryptocurrency[2] for cybercriminals without computer user’s knowledge. Victims who detect this hazardous virus on their systems should know that it is not related to Shadowsocks proxy software in any way.

As soon as Shadowsocks Miner Trojan infects the target system, it launches service.exe or websock.exe process and starts mining cryptocurrency right away. Possible outcomes of such activity are computer slowdowns, lags, software crashes, and similar intolerable issues.

If you noticed that your computer became very problematic and the described issues bother you on a daily basis, you should check for malware on the system ASAP. Even though if it is not Shadowsocks Miner virus, it is advisable to run a system scan using software like Reimage.

Distributing illegal cryptocurrency mining tools allow fraudsters to generate more substantial amounts of money using a botnet of victims’ computers compromised with Shadowsocks CPU miner. The dangerous program might run in victim’s computer for months or years unnoticeably, earning the profit for frauds and disrupting victim’s browsing daily.

It is also important to point out that software used by cybercriminals hardly ever arrives alone. It can be distributed with a spying software that will silently steal personal and valuable information and transmit it to criminals’ servers. It goes without saying that fraudsters can use it in a variety of ways, for instance, sell it on the dark web or use it in social engineering attacks.

The listed issues explain why we recommend you to remove Shadowsocks virus without any hesitations. Protect your computer from unwanted digital pests and make sure that you are the only one using it. You should find the unwanted program in the list of recently installed programs in the Control Panel, but in case you can’t, run anti-spyware software for a quick detection of the threat and speedy Shadowsocks Miner removal.

Shadowsocks Miner Trojan is a dangerous software that slows down the computer as it uses CPU power to mine cryptocurrency for criminals.

Inhibit the distribution of potentially unwanted programs with a simple trick

Although computer users tend to think that potentially unwanted software and malicious viruses are distributed by hackers who break into computers to install them, the reality is quite different. Distribution of such annoying and dangerous software cannot happen without user’s interaction, so criminals set up places to download unwanted programs. Their creativity is endless, and users often get deceived by convincing emails or freeware available to download online.

To keep spyware and malware away, never make the following list of mistakes:

Never open emails from unknown senders and bypass folders containing unsolicited junk (Spam, Trash or Junk folders in your email).

Do not click on email attachments or any links provided in the message (including Unsubscribe link) if the message seems to be shady. Besides, do not let official logos, names and other details trick you into thinking that the email comes from a legitimate company or a trustworthy sender. Fraudsters can fake these features in a few minutes.

Do not try to set up licensed software on your computer for free. Not only such actions are considered illegal, and you can be fined for doing so, but you can also unknowingly install malware alongside the program you want.

Install freeware and shareware you download only using Custom or Advanced installation settings. Never try to opt for Standard or Default installation modes as these won’t allow you to configure the installation preference and will clutter your PC with unwanted apps.

Remove Shadowsocks Miner manually or automatically

Wondering what the best way to push the miner from your computer is? If so, we suggest you remove Shadowsocks virus automatically. This removal method simply saves lots of time and helps you to catch all spyware and malware programs available on your PC.

Technically, it is also possible to uninstall this unwanted program manually, however, if you want to be sure about your security and privacy, opt for automatic Shadowsocks removal. In case it is not what you want, follow steps listed below.

You can remove virus damage automatically with a help of one of these programs: Reimage, SpyHunter 5Combo Cleaner, Malwarebytes. We recommend these applications because they detect potentially unwanted programs and viruses with all their files and registry entries that are related to them.

What to do if failed?
If you failed to remove virus damage using Reimage, submit a question to our support team and provide as much details as possible.

Reimage is recommended to remove virus damage. Free scanner allows you to check whether your PC is infected or not. If you need to remove malware, you have to purchase the licensed version of Reimage malware removal tool.

Remove Shadowsocks Miner from Windows shortcuts
Right click on the shortcut of Mozilla Firefox and select Properties.

Go to Shortcut tab and look at the Target field. Delete malicious URL that is related to your virus.

Repeat steps that are given above with all browsers' shortcuts, including Internet Explorer and Google Chrome. Make sure you check all locations of these shortcuts, including Desktop, Start Menu and taskbar.

Remove Shadowsocks Miner from Safari

Remove dangerous extensions
Open Safari web browser and click on Safari in menu at the top left of the screen. Once you do this, select Preferences.

Here, select Extensions and look for Shadowsocks Miner or other suspicious entries. Click on the Uninstall button to get rid each of them.

Change your homepage if it was altered by virus:
Open your Safari web browser and click on Safari in menu section. Here, select Preferences as it was displayed previously and select General.

Here, look at the Homepage field. If it was altered by Shadowsocks Miner, remove unwanted link and enter the one that you want to use for your searches. Remember to include the "http://" before typing in the address of the page.

Reset Safari
Open Safari browser and click on Safari in menu section at the top left of the screen. Here, select Reset Safari....

Now you will see a detailed dialog window filled with reset options. All of those options are usually checked, but you can specify which of them you want to reset. Click the Reset button to complete Shadowsocks Miner removal process.